In the wake of Hurricane Dolly here in Texas (and the storms/heat/all other yucky outside weather stuff going on), I thought I’d share a great activity to try indoors this summer. This is a great project for pretty much any age; if a child can hold a marker and scribble or color on a paper, then they are ready for this one. All you need are markers, a timer, and a sheet of blank paper for each participant.

Set the timer for one minute, and each person begins to draw a picture on his or her own paper. It can be anything, from a scribble, to shapes, to letters, to lines, to something more complex. When the timer goes off after one minute, pass the drawings around to different people (if it is just you and a child, simply trade. In our family, we pass to the right when three or more are playing).

Set the timer again for one minute, but this time, each person is now adding to the other person’s artwork! Continue in this manner until the art is completed. It is amazing to see what everyone can create together by adding a little to each piece.